Mealie meal subsidy removal received with mixed feelings

Mealie meal subsidy removal received with mixed feelings

Chipata, May15, ZANIS —— Some Chipata residents have welcomed the move by government to remove miller and consumer subsidies on mealie meal.

James Chirwa of Kapata Township said that government should be commended for removing the subsidies describing it as a courageous move which previous government failed to do for political gains.

Mr Chirwa stated that the stance should be supported by Zambians because subsidies were not good for the country’s social and economic development.

However, another resident said that the move by government to remove mealie meal subsidies would have a negative impact on citizens who solely depended on the commodity as their staple food.

Mirriam Mkandawire stated that even strong economies provided subsidies on essential goods for their citizens as a way of financial support.

And Chipata District Farmers Union Coordinator Vigil Malambo said the removal of subsidies on mealie meal would impact negatively on farmers whose yields were not impressive in the 2012/13 farming season.

Mr Malambo noted that most farmers would exclusively depend on buying mealie meal because they could not manage better yields due to late delivery of input by government and drought experienced in some parts of the district.

Yesterday, government announced the removal of mealie meal subsidies to benefit the Miller and consumer respectively.